here's a true story about Maria. During WWII, she & her mother lived in Greece which was occupied by the Germans. She was studying Opera there. One day she found a few RAF flyers & offered safe harbor in her basement. A bunch of Italians were searching for them. As they started to look for the errant pilots, Maria dashed over to the piano & started to sing "La Traviata". All the Italian fellows stopped dead in their tracks, sat down on the living room floor, absolutely enthralled. Her mother later recalled it was the best she ever sang & that Maria was singing to save our lives. The soldiers never looked any further & only left after she stopped singing. The British soldiers never were caught & made their way home. The Germans never knew about her resistance efforts.maria callas3- book - performance.jpg